Hera

The Kingdom of Hera is a large nation which lies on the Estandran Peninsula, and includes territory across the straits of Abruzzi in the Great Pyran plain. Hera shares a rather contentious border with Verinia in the north where an ongoing undeclared war called the 'Vitola Conflict' had been raging for some 40 years. To the west Hera shares a border with the Miran Federation, and with Pyran in the north east, and the wildlands to the west.

Hera is governed by a system of Feudalism, where the majority of the land in the nation to divided into Duchies, and Counties, and with rulers predominantly from the 'The Great Houses of Hera'. Hera formed from a civil war and split from Rotharia, and has had a violent relationship with the Rotharians ever since. To this date, the Rotharians have launched 8 full invasions of the Straits of Abruzzi, one of Hera's most important strategic regions.

War for independence
Hera existed for much of its history as the colony of the Athiian Empire, and later as a colonial holding of the ascendant Rotharian Imperium which defeated Athiia during the Athiian Collapse. Under Rotharian Stewardship Hera, which had existed as a major colony of Athia, became an after thought of the Rotharians, whose focus lied entirely on their homelands, and the development of their domestic economy. During this period the first inklings of the Heran national identity began to take root.

The City of Hera saw itself become host to a hotbed of Anti-Rotharian activism, which for many years went mostly under the radar of the distant, and uninterested Rotharians. Initially these resistance efforts remained underground, and acted mostly in secrete, sabotaging Rotharian Encampments, and supply lines, but eventually grew more bold to the point of even assassinating public officials, including the Colonial Governor of Hera Arin Ai Aura. In response to the brutal murder of Arin Aura, the Rotharian Senate voted to forcibly integrate the provinces of Hera into the Imperium, and deployed three legions, totaling 60,000 soldiers to the region.

The so called 'Three Legions of Hera' arrived to the port of Avisa, some ways south of the city of Hera, and was immediately met with fierce resistance. The Battle of Avisa took place on August 19th, NT 219, and saw some 9,000 Rotharians, and 27,000 Heran Soldiers and Civlians perish in the following 'Massacre of Avisa'. The Rotharian response to the resistance was harsh, as the military commanders chose to round up all those who openly opposed the Imperium, and saw them put before military tribunal, and eventually executed. The mass executions would continue for nearly a month. On August 29th NT 219, a force of some 80,000 Herans, assembled from the disparate populations of the cities of Hera, Remenzacco, Volpedo, Sona, and Serrarossa known as the 'Western Coalition' arrived to the city of Avisa and begun to siege the city fortifications.

The Rotharian forces held out for nearly eight years, in what is now considered one of the longest sieges in history. In the duration of the siege, several other pivotal battles were fought, including the now legendary 'First Siege of Abruzzi' (Referred to as Abrutta by Rotharians), in which a fleet of nearly 600 Rotharian vessels carrying over 100,000 soldiers from five different Legions were defeated by the defenders of the coastal town of Abruzzi. It was during this battle that the heroic sacrifice of Icaro di Calise would turn the tide of the battle and see the bulk of the Rotharian fleet sunk. The failed Siege of Abruzzi devastated the Rotharians, whose attention was now turned to more urgent rebellions in Nara, and the survivor states of Athia in Veras, in addition to a brewing civil-war at home.

On January 228, with support from the forces laying siege to the city of Avisa, the last of the Rotharian forces were pushed out from Hera, and with the declaration of victory, and the establishment of the Kingdom of Hera on September 27th, NT 228, the Heran War of Independence officially ended. To this date the war remains technically ongoing as the Rotharian Imperium has never signed, nor agreed to a peace treaty, and has on a number of occasions launched additional attempted invasions of Hera, though all have failed.

Wars in Pyran, Vitola
In the following centuries, the Kingdom of Hera began to consolidate its borders, annexing several smaller states in what is now the present day Miran Federation, and enforcing its power in the distant eastern duchies. The majority of Hera's conflicts between NT 300 and NT 600 would consist primarily of minor border disputes with its neighbors, and a slow expansion westward into Mira. It wasn't until NT 643 that Hera would see its next major conflict, the Subjugation of Pyran.

Pyran is a large nation located across the strait of Abruzzi from Hera, and has long been considered to be a stable, albeit militarily weak power in the region which has historically served as the gateway to the wildlands to the east. For as long as Pyran controlled its half of the straits of Abruzzi, and so long as it held the critical port of Suras Hera could not maintain total dominance of the Gulf of Hera. The King of Hera, Acacio Di Giorgio began to prepare for a campaign in Pyran, with the intent of seizing much of the nation's lands along the gulf, along with the vital straits of Abruzzi. The campaign was officially launched on August 3rd NT 643 with several divisions of Heran Infantry landing north of the fishing village of Kąty opposite of Abruzzi. Though Pyran had received advance warning of this invasion, its forces were still nearly a week out from the Heran landing force.

The two armies would meet in the field just within visual range of the city of Suras, where the Battle of Suras was fought. Some 35,000 Heran Infantry held their ground against 40,000 Pyran Infantry and Cavalry, who were defeated after falling into a Heran ambush. Despite their loss in this battle, the Pyran forces would regroup shortly after, and go on to win a series of minor skirmishes against the Heran forces. The war itself would last nearly 50 years, finally ending in NT 691 with the Armistice of Kamień. In the agreement, Hera would seize control of much of Pyran's sparsely populated southern territories, dominated by bogs and sterile brush lands. In return Pyran would be granted free passage through the straits of Abruzzi, and a claim to the wildlands east of Hera's newly earned colony. The obvious lopsidedness of this armistice enraged many in the Pyran Nobility, and would be one of the leading causes of the ongoing Pyran Civil Conflict.

Only a decade later in NT 704 Hera would see further conflict, with the sudden, and unexpected Verinian Invasion of Vitola. The village of Vitola has been a historic flash point for the two neighbors, as both nations maintain significant claims of the village, and substantial portions of its hinterlands. While over the centuries there have been dozens of skirmishes over the village, the invasion of 704 was by far the most significant, with a Verinian force of 7,500 assaulting the largely undefended village of 200. The Verinian forces seized the town, and began the process of fortifying the village center, which exists on a tactically important hill. The Heran military responded two weeks later with an overwhelming force of 18,000 deployed from the cities of Rizzata, Palmiano, Missano, and Aviano. Though the Verinian forces held the fortified hill they had none of the military experience of the Heran Military, who had only just left one of the most brutal conflicts on the modern era. Nearly every individual of the 7,500 man Verinian force were captured, killed, or executed.

The Principality of Verinia responded by raising a levy of 20,000 men from its southern communities of Krena, Reuenthal, Kaserne, and Untervellach. This force upon arrival to Vitola began the construction of wooden fortifications at the base of the village, which the Heran forces had now continued fortifying as the Verinians did before. For the next few years additional skirmishes and battles would be fought at the feet of the village, with both sides trading ownership for short periods, but ultimately by NT 709 the Heran forces secured permanent control of the village through the construction of an ambitious series of nine defensive walls around the city, forcing the Verinian forces to successfully capture nine individual fortifications before taking the village proper.

The conflict in Vitola continues to the present day, with the conflict on the micro-scale having devolved into a hellish sort of trench warfare, where Heran Mages have free reign over the open and violent slaughter of Verinian soldiers, while facing little retribution themselves. To the Heran government the conflict is viewed primarily as an oddity -- a conflict in which they have little to gain, but nothing they can realistically lose. To the Verinians, the conflict has become a very stinging reminder of their weakness against the neighbors, and a growing anti-war movement domestically has begun to strain the influence of the ruling classes, and could see the destabilization of one of Halas' most historically steady powers.

Present day
Today Hera stands as one of the most prominent powers in Halas, considered a military and economic super power on par with the Empire of Cartois. Hera shares favorable relations with the Kingdom of Alba, and the Tyrian Federation, though relations with the Miran Federation are chilled thanks to the nation's historic ambitions in the region. The conflict in Vitola is still ongoing with Heran and Verinian soldiers fighting on a nearly daily basis. Tensions between Hera and Verinia have reached an all time high, and though the Vitola Conflict presently only concerns small sections of each nations militaries, there is a growing fear among the public of both nations that the conflict may soon evolve into an all out war.

More distantly, Hera has seen the Empire of Cartois assume the position of its main Halasian rival, with both nations attempting to act as a counter weight to one another's own influence. For example, while the Empire of Cartois is suspected as providing material conflict to rebels in the Vessonian Civil-war, Hera on the other hand has provided open support, and economic aid for the Loyalist faction. Despite their rivalry, however, the Cartesians are far from the most pressing concern of the Hera government. Their centuries long dispute with Rotharia (Whom still claims Hera to be a rebellious colony) is considered ongoing, and despite their past failures, the Heran Government and Public still greatly fear a possible ninth siege of Abruzzi, and possible incursion into Hera.

Lastly, there has been growing concerns over the rising power of the other four of Hera's Five Great Houses. While the ruling Di Giorgio family has retained a firm grasp over the reins of the nation, increasingly large sections of the nation, its military, and public support have been carved up by the Tramontozzi, Franza, Ciuffo, and Bella-Gotti families, lending credit to growing concerns that the Di Giorgio family may be on their way out. Additionally, the rise of the powerful and infamous Castagna-Scuderi criminal family has raised concerns about the true stability of Hera, as organized crime begins to make a substantial, and growing impact on the populace at large, with some members of the lowest classes in society even beginning to side with the Scuderi over the ruling classes.

Geography
Hera lies primarily on the Estandran Peninsula, and is additionally divided in half by the Estandran Mountain Range. The vast majority of the nation's population lie within the 'Heran Plains', an area of lowlands at the feet of the Estandran, Miran, and Unter Welschen-Alps. This region is responsible for the bulk of the nation's agricultural output, and economic activity. It is generally consistent of wide open meadows, rolling hills, and light thickets and forests. Further inland, the land quickly shifts from open meadows, to steep foothills, and craggy outcroppings of rock. Travel through the Estandran mountains can be dangerous, as many deep crevasses line the range, and often times the crossing of dozens of bridges is required to pass through the mountains.

On land there exist three major choke points in the Estandran mountains. The flat Tora River Valley in the far north, Saint Heron's Pass north of the rivers Sara and Sora, and the narrow and winding Bioria Pass in the central range. Travel between east and west can be slow, and dangerous thanks in large part to these gargantuan, jagged rocks and passages of the Estandran mountains. The majority of travel in the nation instead passes around the range from the north or south.

Economy
Hera enjoys one of the strongest economies in Halas, with high levels of development in its local industry, and trade. The largest industry in Hera is agriculture, with the nation both producing enough food to sustain itself without imports, but the agricultural industry also produces a variety of cash crops, primarily cotton, flax, and tobacco. Heran tobacco in specific has become immensely popular across Halas, and is considered the highest quality in the world. Through Hera's advanced agricultural industry, other major industries are spurred, such as the textiles industry, where many major cities such as Hera, Aviano, and Soma see much of their local work force centered around the production of luxuries such as textiles, tobacco products, and silverware, for the purpose of export.

Thanks to Hera's control of the straits of Abruzzi, Heran trade vessels may pass through the strait without paying the required toll, and thus allowing their local trade companies an unfair, monopolistic advantage when trading in the Centran, and Pyran nations located inland from the gulf. In these nations Heran luxury products dominate local markets, as Rotharian Porcelain, or Tobacco can not pass through the strait without hefty margins to remake the expensive Abruzzi toll. This has led to the rise of numerous, immensely powerful, and wealthy trade companies across Hera, who seek to abuse the nations production and position to create as much personal wealth as possible.

Government
The core of Heran society is built around a system of feudalism, wherein the nation is divided into approximately 32 Duchies, and further into hundreds of individual counties. Through this system of feudalism the Dukes of Hera seek to extort taxes from the numerous Counts who serve below them. These Counts, in turn, raise taxes in the form of grain, tobacco, gold, or coin from local farmers, artisans, or merchants. The balance of power in Hera has historically been in favor of the Di Giorgio family who rule the nation, however with the rise of other prominent families such as the Bella-Gotti, and Tramontozzi Families, the balance of power has begun to slowly shift towards the Dukes of the realm, and many have begun to wonder, or fear that the nation may soon enter a period of strife, as the other families make an attempt to replace the Di Giorgio with an oligarchy, or perhaps even seize the throne for themselves.

While at present the Di Giorgio family is supposed to represent the highest power in the state, as the family presently holds the title of King, and Duke of Hera, the reality is that each of the five Great Houses of Hera hold influence over different sectors of the nation. The Di Giorgio hold nominal command over the Great Houses themselves, but the Tramontozzi have over the last few decades seized near total control over the Navy. The Franza family, on the other hand, have a long and glorious history with the Military, and arguably have more influence in the armies of Hera than even the Di Giorgio. House Ciuffo have earned themselves a name which carries much respect and reverence with the church, and bureaucrats of the nation, and perhaps have the most support amongst the public and institutions of Hera out of all the houses. Lastly, House Bella-Gotti is by far the richest of the great houses, and is not only respected by the bulk of the trade companies in the nation, but in fact are invested in nearly every industry in the nation, and Bella-Gotti owned businesses have begun to lay roots in nearly every part of the nation.

Military
Hera is capable, at least theoretically, of raising an army of almost 230,000 conscripts, behind only Cartois in the region in terms of maximal military strength. The reality, however, is that the Heran Military is marred by bureaucracy, and corruption. Each Count of the nation is expected to provide conscripts from its various local settlements and encampments to their respective Dukes, who in turn are responsible for the defense of their local holdings. During times of war the various Ducal armies are centralized under a singular chain of command, with the King of Hera appointing a number of commanders, each controlling their own fronts.

Ideally this means that the war effort can be easily managed by several individuals, who focus entirely on their given front of the war, but in reality this has lead to conflict between different fronts, as strategies, tactics, and military movements conflict. In the most extreme instances Heran armies have even mistaken one another for rival forces, and have ambushed each other. Despite these flaws, the Heran military has been successful in the vast majority of its conflicts, owing in large part to its overwhelming force, and the advantages of natural defenses in many of its most tense regions.

Culture
Hera is a hotbed of culture in Halas, with densely populated cities, and a wealth patrician and noble class to patronize the arts. While the lower classes could never realistically afford to enjoy the arts, many in the middle classes, and the vast majority of the upper classes of Hera have become regular visitors to the nations many Opera halls, Theatres, and Art Galleries. Theatre in Hera differ greatly from the Rotharian model of stage performance, featuring a singular stage viewed only from one angle rather than the several stages, and 360 degree seating seen in Rotharian Theatre.

The Musical arts have also begun to flourish in recent years, with the world famous composer Benigno Gaetano having become a household name in much of the country, and has even gained name recognition with the nobility of countries as far away as Rotharia. Most major cities in Hera maintain at least one dedicated Orchestral hall, intended exclusively for the performance of music, in addition to several open public forums and parks where many orchestras, and individual musicians practice in regularly. Lastly, painting and sculpture has exploded in the last century, with many Heran nobles suffering from something known locally as "Patron's Fever", where Patrician and Noble families alike bid exceptionally high amounts of money for singular paintings or statues, especially ones of artistic or historic import, causing a substantial explosion in the number of artists seeking to take advantage of the 'Patron's Fever'.

Religion
Hera is the home of the Heranist faith which is naturally the largest in the nation. The people of Hera are immensely religious, to an extent unseen in nearly every other country, save for the radically devout, cult-like Velius. The King of Hera is second only to the Arch-Bishop, currently an Arcadio Cocuzza, who acts as the steward of the Heranist faith, and guides the bishoprics of every other Heranist nation, excluding the few Rotharian Bishops who operate in secret as the faith has been declared illegal in the Imperium. Virtually every city in Hera has a cathedral, and no community in the nation goes without at least the most humble churches or chapels.

Hera also hosts a large population of Monks, who spend the entirety of their adult lives secluded in the mountains, where they study theology, history, mathematics, or their favorite pastime, brewing alcohol. While Heran Monks have dedicated their lives to study in seclusion, and celibacy, some orders have strayed. These orders, often called 'Rogue Sects' often indulge in drinking to excess, feasting, illicit relations with prostitutes, and even combat. While most Monastic orders are strictly pacifist, a few have chosen to take up military arms, and now operate as pseudo-military orders which often serve alongside the military, or operate as mercenaries in foreign armies, which has become an immensely controversial subject within the church as of late.

Cities
Hera

Abruzzi

Aviano

Sona

Bioria

Serrarossa

Suras

Vitola

Vahrn